Career Summary

Biography

One of my main contributions to the research field of ecohydraulics, geomorphology and water resources restoration is the design of in-channel structures of the pool-riffle type to naturalize low-gradient urban streams. Pools and riffles are fundamental elements of natural river systems responsible for providing the geomorphological-ecological variability necessary for a healthy habitat, and are typically absent in channelized urban floodways.

As part of my PhD, I carried out a comprehensive three-dimensional analysis of the hydraulics of pool-riffle structures in order to maximize their ecological functionality. During the last four years at the University of Newcastle I have developed a strong research group (two PhD students and one postdoc) in ecohydraulics and restoration of estuarine and riverine environments. This research has produced 12 conference publications and a number of journal papers that are currently in preparation. I am either team leader or first named CI in two grants from ARC (LP in estuarine wetland ecohydraulics and LP in riparian restoration). I am also a CI in the eWater CRC, working in urban ecohydraulics. Being an Early Career Researcher (PhD Sept. 2003) and starting a new research group has resulted in a relatively low productivity in terms of journal papers, which are in the process of preparation or submission.

Journal article (20 outputs)

Year

Citation

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2014

Garcia ML, Basile PA, Riccardi GA, Rodriguez JF, 'Modelling extraordinary floods and sedimentological processes in a large channel-floodplain system of the Lower ParanÃ¡ River (Argentina)', International Journal of Sediment Research, (2014)

A quasi-2D unsteady flow and sediment transport model suitable for the simulation of large lowland river systems, including their floodplains, is presented. The water flow and sed... [more]

A quasi-2D unsteady flow and sediment transport model suitable for the simulation of large lowland river systems, including their floodplains, is presented. The water flow and sediment equations are discretised using an interconnected irregular cells scheme, in which different simplifications of the 1D de Saint Venant equations are used to define the discharge laws between cells. Spatially-distributed transport and deposition of fine sediments throughout the river-floodplain system are simulated. The model is applied over a 208-km reach of the ParanÃ¡ River between the cities of Diamante and Ramallo (Argentina) comprising a river-floodplain area of 8100. km2. After calibration and validation, the model is applied to predict water and sediment dynamics during synthetically generated extraordinary floods of 100, 1000, and 10,000 years return period. The potential impact of a 56-km long road embankment constructed across the entire floodplain is simulated and compared to model results without the embankment. The embankment results in increases in upstream water levels, inundation extent, flow duration, and sediment deposition.

Time-dependent bed shear stresses induced by the passage of a barge tow have been measured with hot film shear stress sensors in a 1:25 scale model. Conditions typical of those ob... [more]

Time-dependent bed shear stresses induced by the passage of a barge tow have been measured with hot film shear stress sensors in a 1:25 scale model. Conditions typical of those observed for Upper Mississippi River navigation traffic were simulated in the experimental facility. Two sets of experiments were carried out: the first set consisted of simultaneous shear stress measurements at different locations for a variety of flow depths and boat operating conditions, providing space-time distributions of ensemble average wall shear stresses. The second set included a large number of realizations gathered for one particular flow condition at a single position, allowing analysis of the time evolution of the turbulence characteristics (i.e., standard deviation) of the bed shear stresses. The results of the first set of experiments show that for all the experimental conditions the basic patterns of the shear stress are similar, with two regions of high shear stress associated with the passage of the bow and the stern of the barge tow, respectively. Analysis of the second set of experiments showed that, as a result of the passage of the barge tow, the bed-shear stress standard deviation departs from the values commonly observed under steady, uniform, open-channel flow conditions. This behavior has important implications for sediment transport.

Many urban and suburban communities in the Midwest are seeking to establish sustainable, morphologically and hydraulically varied, yet dynamically stable fluvial systems that are ... [more]

Many urban and suburban communities in the Midwest are seeking to establish sustainable, morphologically and hydraulically varied, yet dynamically stable fluvial systems that are capable of supporting healthy, biologically diverse aquatic ecosystems - a process known as stream naturalization. This paper describes an integrated research program that seeks to develop a scientific and technological framework to support two stream naturalization projects near Chicago, Illinois. The research program integrates theory and methods in fluvial geomorphology, aquatic ecology, hydraulic engineering and social theory. Both the conceptual and the practical challenges of that integration are discussed. Scientific and technical support emphasize the development of predictive tools to evaluate the performance of possible naturalization designs at scales most appropriate to community based projects. Social analysis focuses on place based evaluations of how communities formulate an environmental vision and then, through decision making, translate this vision into specific stream naturalization strategies. Integration of scientific and technical with social components occurs in the context of community based decision making as the predictive tools are employed by project scientists to help local communities translate their environmental visions into concrete environmental designs. Social analysis of this decision making process reveals how the interplay between the community's vision of what they want the watershed to become, and the scientific perspective on what the watershed can become to achieve the community's environmental goals, leads to the implementation of specific stream naturalization practices.

Gorrick S, Rodriguez JF, 'Sediment dynamics in a laboratory channel with bank vegetation', Proceedings of the 34th World Congress of the International Association for Hydro- Environment Research and Engineering: 33rd Hydrology and Water Resources Symposium and 10th Conference on Hydraulics, Brisbane, QLD (2011) [E1]

2011

De Almeida GA, Rodriguez JF, 'Downstream control and the interdependence of pool-riffle units', Proceedings of the 34th World Congress of the International Association for Hydro- Environment Research and Engineering: 33rd Hydrology and Water Resources Symposium and 10th Conference on Hydraulics, Brisbane, QLD (2011) [E1]

De Almeida GA, Rodriguez JF, 'Assessing the effects of sediment dynamics on physical habitat', Proceedings of the 33rd IAHR Congress: Water Engineering for a Sustainable Environment, Vancouver, Canada (2009) [E1]

2008

Gorrick S, Rodriguez JF, Kalma JD, 'Impacts of vegetation on flow dynamics in a reduced scale model and implications for riparian rehabilitation', Proceedings of Water Down Under 2008: Incorporating 31st Hydrology and Water Resources Symposium, and, 4th International Conference on Water Resources and Environment Research, Adelaide, SA (2008) [E1]

Howe A, Rodriguez JF, 'Eco-geomorphological response of an estuarine wetland to changes in the hydraulic regime', 2006 Fall Meeting, San Francisco, United States of America (2006) [E3]

2006

Howe A, Rodriguez JF, 'Flow resistance in saltmarsh and mangrove vegetation in an Australian coastal wetland', 7th International Conference on Hydroscience and Engineering, Philadelphia, United States of America (2006) [E1]

Research Supervision

Current Supervision

Commenced

Research Title / Program / Supervisor Type

2014

Investigation of the Potential for Hydrogeomorphic Modelling Within the Linear Network Program Wathnet5 to Determine an Optimal Water Sharing Plan for the Macquarie Marshes CatchmentEnvironmental Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Built EnvironmentCo-Supervisor

Development of Modelling Tools for Eco-Geomorphological PredictionCivil Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Built EnvironmentCo-Supervisor

2014

Sediment Dynamics of Wetlands and Effects of Climate ChangeCivil Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Built EnvironmentPrincipal Supervisor

2014

Ecohydrologic Response of Drylands to Climate Variability and ChangeCivil Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Built EnvironmentCo-Supervisor

2013

The Effect of Flow Unsteadiness on Sorting and Self-Maintenance of Pool-Riffle SequencesEnvironmental Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Built EnvironmentPrincipal Supervisor

2013

Eco-Hydraulic Simulations of Floodplain Vegetation and Flow Interactions in the Macquarie Marshes Wetland SystemEnvironmental Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Built EnvironmentPrincipal Supervisor

Past Supervision

Year

Research Title / Program / Supervisor Type

2011

Flow and Sediment Dynamics in Sand Bed Streams with Riparian VegetationEnvironmental Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Built EnvironmentPrincipal Supervisor

2008

Hydrodynamics, Geomorphology and Vegetation of Estuarine Wetlands in the Hunter, Australia: Implications for Migratory Shorebird High Tide Roost AvailabilityEnvironmental Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Built EnvironmentPrincipal Supervisor

2008

Management of an Estuary Processes StudyCivl Eng Not Elswr Classifd, Faculty of Engineering and Built EnvironmentCo-Supervisor